Sing 2 - Duets
by Bitsy
Summary: Sequel which takes place one year after the events of the movie. Buster tries to put together a concert for Ms. Noodleman, Meena and Mike form an unlikely friendship, Ash struggles to let go of her past to have a future, and Johnny tries to separate himself from his father's shady past. Plus, a devious kingpin has plans for "Big Daddy..."
1. Chapter 1: A New Day

"I remember when I was a kid, my dad always told me to never let failure stop you from achieving your goals. After all, if all roads to success were easy, then everyone would be a winner. And you have to know how to lose in order to know what winning is really all about.

"Less than a year ago, I was an optimistic, but struggling, theater producer who barely had two pennies to rub together. My shows were failing, money was practically nonexistent, and I had more death threats than an Internet troll. My best pal, Eddie, told me time and again to just give up and let the theater go so I could move on to bigger and better things. What he didn't realize was this was my bigger and better thing and I wasn't letting it go for anybody. So, in a last ditch effort, I decided to do the one thing I knew would pack my theater to the brim: a singing competition! I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say this was both the greatest idea I ever had and the biggest mistake I ever made. I may have stretched the truth here and there about the prize money and maybe have put a bit too much pressure on my contestants and myself, which eventually led to the collapse - both figuratively and literally - of my beloved theater.

"I was a failure. A washed-up clown. A loose cannon, I believe someone stated. I had hit rock bottom, which meant one thing: the only place left I had to go…was up. But I didn't do it alone…

"While I still had Eddie and dear Ms. Crawley in my corner, the competition introduced me a lively group of characters I would later on call my friends and close knit theater family. Johnny, Rosita, Gunter, Ash, Meena, and Mike. (Well, Mike when he wasn't avoiding the loan sharks and killer Russian bears). With their help, I was able to not only put on a fantastic show, but my theater was restored to its former glory, thanks to the illustrious Nana Noodleman.

"I swear, I've never seen this place so popular, not even when I was a kid! Obviously, I had to make some changes if I was able to make this second chance last. Dear Mrs. Noodleman oversees the productions and gives insight on what should and should not be performed. We still put on various plays and concerts, but we've even gotten requests to use the stage as a wedding venue and other private events. This is always good for a little extra spending money for any future shows we have, especially for my little theater family. They still put on their shows and even help out backstage when their talents are not required onstage.

"For example, Rosita has offered to help out with prop and set design. I guess when you are raising twenty-five children and one husband, organization and good imagination just come naturally to you. Gunter has offered to be our official choreographer. He's an excellent teacher, though sometimes his students get a bit embaressed when he breaks out the sequenced leotards. While Meena has finally gotten over her stage fright and does occasionally perform, she happened to take quite a shine to working as a stagehand. She's hoping that it'll help beef up her college resumes. Poor girl's been stressing herself out in getting into a good school so she can major in music and maybe even theater (a girl after my own heart).

"Our up-and-coming rock star, Ash, has set an all-time record for rebounding after her ugly breakup with what's-his-name. Not only has she written countless new songs since her first solo performance, she reunited a few old schoolmates of hers and started a new band: Nature's Rejects. (Not my first choice for a band name, but what can you do?) This girl's been getting gigs all over the city and has become a local celebrity.

"Last, but not least, Johnny. I knew the second I looked at him that this kid was going to be a whiz on the piano and I was right. He still gets lessons from Ms. Crawley, but he's such a pro now that I think he only does it to have access to a piano. Hearing him sing while tickling the ebony and ivory just melts your heart.

"The hands of fate has given me a new beginning. I may have taken a final bow at my old theater, but this revival will live on for generations to come! Or my name isn't Buster…"

A knock on the door interrupted Buster's monologue. "Good morning, Mr. Moon," said Ms. Crawley as she shuffled into his office, holding a cup of coffee.

"Hold that thought, Ms. Crawley," said Buster and quickly went to his camera tripod, turning off the recording button. "Looks like my auto-documentary will have to be put on hold. So, what is on the agenda today?"

"Well, let's see…" With a shaky hand, Ms. Crawley pulled out her notepad. "Meena and Eddie will be working on the new sound system and lighting fixtures we ordered. Johnny will be in for his usual piano lesson. Oh, and Ash and her little friends will be using rehearsal room A for practice until about one, and then we start rehearsals for the new play. Rosita will be here early to help with the set design."

"Excellent!" said Buster, sipping his coffee. "Just like a well-oiled machine." He walked over to his window, taking a deep breath. "It's gonna be a good day, Ms. Crawley. And there will be plenty more to come after that!"

"Honey, have you seen my car keys?" asked Norman as he was wiping Casper's face with a paper towel.

* * *

"Coat pocket," said Rosita, pulling an action figure out of Hannah's mouth. "Ok, where did I put my binder?"

"On the counter near the coffeemaker."

It was just another chaotic morning at the breakfast nook for Rosita and family, though the morning routine has had some upgrades. Ever since Rosita performed her song with Gunter, Norman saw her in a whole new light. After a long, heartfelt talk, he realized that he had been taking his wife for granted and should have been helping her with with the kids as well as her new job at Moon theater. So now, Norman gets up with Rosita and together they help the kids get ready for school and getting their own schedules on track. Rosita was never one to complain, but she was so happy to finally get a little extra help in the morning as well as around the house. Although they still kept up her strange contraption to get the kids out of bed and do the cleaning while they were both at work.

So, after giving the kids their backpacks (Rosita did the girls while Norman got the boys) and sending them on their way, Norman and Rosita took a moment to fix each other up.

"Bye Norman," said Rosita, straightening his tie.

"Bye bye, Rosita," said Norman, handing her her purse. "Tell Gunter I said…what's hello in German again?"

"Guten Tag. And I will." Rosita chuckled and gave her husband a loving kiss. "See you tonight, honey. Have a great day at work."

With that, Norman went to the car while Rosita hummed down the street in the opposite direction. It was gonna be a good day; she could feel it.

* * *

Meena hummed to herself as she was preparing the pancake batter. Since she was plugged into her tunes, she didn't hear her grandfather come up behind her, trying to steal a few extra chocolate chips. His attempt was thwarted thanks to Meena's mother smacking his trunk.

"No dad," she scolded. "You remember what the doctor said about your blood pressure: cut back on the sweets!"

Grandpa just harrumphed and went to sit down at the breakfast table. "I still think I need a second opinion. That doc's a quack."

"He's a duck, dad…"

"So I got a bit of a sweet tooth," he continued. "I've been eating like that since I was Meena's age and I still made star quarterback on the college football team."

"Well, you're not her age now, so you're gonna have to follow doctor's orders. Besides, I made you a nice bowl of oatmeal instead."

"I can make something else," said Meena, who had taken off her headphones.

But her mother shook her head. "You finish up on the pancakes, sweetie. You know how you grandma loves them. Speaking of which, I better go see if she's having trouble finding her glasses again."

After placing the bowl of oatmeal in front of her disgruntled father, Meena's mom left the kitchen to head upstairs. Once the coast was clear, Meena picked up the bowl of chips and went over to the table. She held a finger to her lips and sprinkled a few chips on his oatmeal. Grandpa chuckled. "That's my girl."

"Mom does have a point though," she said. "I don't want you getting sick."

Grandpa laughed as he took a bite of his breakfast. "Aw, I'm as fit as a fiddle, Meena. Don't you worry about me. Or should I say _'Don't you worry 'bout a thiiiing!"_

Meena giggled. "Very cute, Grandpa." She gave him a small kiss on his head, then went back to the stove.

"That reminds me, baby girl. Did you ever hear back from that dream school of yours?"

"Lincoln?" Meena shook her head. "No, not yet. Although I'm starting to wonder if I still have a shot…"

"Of course you do! So the other schools you applied for turned you down. So what? If they had half a brain, they'd have taken you in a heartbeat! Once you become a world-famous singer, they'll be kicking themselves to their graves."

Meena rolled her eyes. Once again, her grandfather was promoting her as a superstar singer. "Grandpa, I know you want me to make it big, but I want to do more with my life than just sing. I wanna learn everything I can about music. The history, the styles, the impact it has on different cultures. And thanks to Mr. Moon, now I'm kinda interesting in theater production."

Grandpa coughed. "You mean, you'd rather go back behind the curtain again? I thought you were over your stage fright."

"I am!" she said, placing the fresh batch of pancakes on the table. "I just want something to fall back on, that's all. I can't put all my eggs in one basket."

Shaking his head in both admiration and frustration, Grandpa took another bite of his oatmeal. "Well, I can't argue with your logic, baby girl. Just don't deny the world your gift, that's all I'm saying."

"Who says I only have one gift to give?"

Grandpa laughed. "That's true, that's true. Nice to finally see some backbone growing outta you. Make me some coffee, baby. I'm gonna get the paper."

* * *

Ash grumbled as she dragged her feet to the kitchen. She hated mornings, whether they be the crack of dawn or eleven o'clock. She was strictly an afternoon, evening, and night kind of girl. She was about to start the coffee when she saw a cup for her was already made. Ash smirked and reached for the creamer. "Thank you, Olive," she said over her shoulder.

Ever since her breakup with Lance, Ash wasted no time in moving forward as much as possible. One step forward including patching things up with her old friend, Olive; a raccoon Ash knew back from the third grade. Olive was loyal and friendly, though gifted with a sarcastic wit that she wasn't afraid to unleash. They had been very close in the past, but once Ash started dating Lance during their junior year in high school, their friendship faltered. Once the breakup happened, Ash contacted Olive again and the two of them were finally able to talk things over. Everything connected to Lance (including music posters, clothing, old CDs, and his weird collection of bottle caps) was successfully removed from the apartment, Olive moved in and they got along swimmingly.

Olive chuckled as she sat at the table with the morning paper. "Figured it was either that or break out the air horn. How is it that I'm a nocturnal animal and still get up before you do?"

"You got messed up DNA?" said Ash. "So, anything about zombies in the paper?"

Olive shook her head. "Not yet, though apparently a piece of sand covered in oyster mucus is touring the country."

Ash looked over Olive's shoulder to see what she was referring to. The front page of the paper said **Priceless 600 Year-Old Pearl To Be Displayed at City Museum**. Below the headline, a picture of a large white orb was displayed on a velvet pillow in glass box. Ash let out a low whistle. "Wow, imagine having that on your eBay page."

"Seriously. Hey, we rehearsing at the theater today?"

Ash's second step forward was working on her music career and Olive was just the boost she needed. Olive was already great at the bass and was friends with a drummer named Brandy: a sweet, bubbly teenage skunk who was addicted to all forms of social media. This actually wasn't a bad thing since Brandy was in charge of the band's Facebook page and Twitter account.

"Yup," said Ash as she downed the rest of her coffee. "Be sure to text Brandy. I don't want her missing the warm-up again."

"Don't worry; she'll be there," said Olive, wiping her glasses on the corner of shirt. _Especially if she wants to see Johnny…_

* * *

"Thirty-six…thirty-seven…thirty-eight…"

Johnny blinked away the sweat in his eyes as he finished up another set of curl-ups while hanging upside down. He kept catching glimpses of the news broadcast during his sets.

 _"The pearl will be displayed at the Cornea Museum for exactly one month before continuing its global tour," said the cat announcer. "The pearl has been in the Mundabi family for nearly ten generations and is part of a very important tradition. Whenever the current owner of the pearl passes away, the pearl must make a global voyage to various cities in the world before being handed down to the next heir. The pearl is said to be worth over five-billion dollars in American currency. Mayor Olsen has promised the Mundabi family that the pearl will have only the best security protecting it. Mr. Mundabi almost rejected the city of Cornea after learning about the botched gold heist that took place last year. The culprit was none other than Marcus "Big Daddy" Greystone, who is still currently serving time…"_

Johnny turned off the TV and sighed heavily. He hated it when the news brought up his dad's gang. Sure, his dad was a criminal, but he only stole money. He had never broken into homes or stolen personal items, even if the item in question was beyond priceless.

Thinking of his father led Johnny over to the collection of pictures he had sitting on the makeshift shelf in his room. All the pics were of happier times when he still lived in England and before his father had become "Big Daddy Greystone." Most of all, it was when he still had his mother. His eyes fell upon his favorite photo of her. Unlike Johnny and his dad, his mother was brown-furred gorillia. She had a kind face and hazel eyes that always eased Johnny's heart. In the photo, she was wearing her favorite pink sweater and was holding Johnny when he was a toddler. The young ape in the picture wouldn't look at the camera, but kept his eyes on his mother, who returned the gaze with a beautiful smile on her face. But what Johnny remembered the most was her voice. Her passion for singing matched his own. Every night before bed, he would sit on his father's lap while she played the piano and sung him a lullaby, her melodious voice lulling him to dreamland. She was the exact opposite of his dad: kind, gentle, soft-spoken. She really brought a sense of balance to their family, until…

Johnny shook away the memory. _Don't think of that now_ , Johnny thought to himself. He then looked over at the picture of him and his dad. He must have only been about three or four and was propped on his dad's shoulder, smiling and waving to the camera. His dad had a large smile on his face as he looked up at his son, every bit of him shining with pride. Next to the photo was the newspaper article of his father getting arrested, complete with mugshot. It was like they were two different apes. The news would always see his father as a notorious, heartless criminal who didn't deserve a second chance. But to Johnny, he'd always be his dad.

Johnny picked up a marker and scratched another day off the calendar. "Almost there, dad." Flipping ahead, he saw that there were only six months left before his father's parole. The prison visits had been helping him cope with the absence. It was the first time he and his dad actually sat down and really spoke to each other as father and son and not gang leader and henchman. Marcus promised Johnny, over and over, that things would be different once he got out. Johnny believed him, but was still worried. He knew that having a criminal record meant it'd be difficult to get a job. Still, he couldn't afford to give up hope.

Looking down at his watch, he saw that it was time for him to get cleaned up and head to the theater. After a quick shower and breakfast, Johnny grabbed his skateboard and locked up the garage.


	2. Chapter 2: Making Music

(DISCLAIMER: "Hello" lyrics is trademarked to Lionel Ritchie and his studios and I do not claim any ownership over them.)

* * *

Like many animals in this day and age, Brandy was very much attached to her phone. She had an account on nearly every form of social media and visited each regularly throughout the day. She was always taking selfies and using the sticker feature to brighten up her photos, not that her selfies really needed it. As a skunk, black-and-white was her permanent design and she felt that if she was going to be a drummer for an up-and-coming rock band, she needed to make more of an image. Brandy had the habit of dying her white stripes various colors to match her "punk-pop" meets "80's glam rock" fashion. This week's color was neon pink, complete with floofing up her bangs and having it dangle over one of her eyes. Satisfied, she decided to take another selfie for good measure.

"Uh, Brandy?"

Brandy looked away from her phone to see Meena, standing awkwardly at the top of the stairs leading into the theater. "Oh hey, Meena!" she said cheerfully. "What's up?"

"Not much," she said with a shrug. "Um….do you want some help with that?"

Brandy knew Meena was talking about the large pile of drum cases piled in front of the stairs. Sitting upon the highest case, Brandy shook her head and crossed her legs. "Oh, that's fine, sweetie. I got this covered."

"That's a lot to carry, though. I could easily…"

Meena stopped when Brandy let out an excited squeal of delight. She followed the skunk's gaze and saw what had excited her: Johnny. He came cruising on his skateboard while plugged into his music. It was like the world went into slow motion for Brandy when Johnny kicked up his board and ran his large fingers through his hair, bits of sweat catching the rays of sunlight that glistened his face. When she first laid eyes on that gorilla during his live performance, it was like a lightening strike to her heart. He was strong, sweet, had a bad boy look without the attitude. She couldn't help but be smitten by him, despite having five other entries on her ever growing possible-boyfriend list. Right now, he was number one (though the hot badger barista at her favorite coffee shop was a close second).

Brandy was so busy lost in her dreamy thoughts that she almost missed Johnny walking past them. "Hey Meena. Hey Brandy," he said casually.

"Oh Johnny!" said Brandy in her most innocent voice. She hopped off the cases and gingerly took Johnny's finger, leading him towards the pile. "I'm so glad you got here. I was having a really hard time getting all these cases inside and I could sure use some help."

"But I asked if you needed…" Meena started to say when Brandy cut her off.

"Besides," Brandy continued while playing with the zipper on Johnny's jacket. "I'm sure a big, strong fella like you could handle a couple of itty bitty cases like these, right? What exactly do you bench again?"

Johnny coughed nervously as he ran his hand on the back of neck. "I-I'm not sure. I don't really keep track of that sort of thing." This wasn't the first time Brandy pulled this little flirting game with him. He didn't want to be rude; she was definitely cute enough and he wasn't against dating outside his species. Problem was he already had his eyes on someone else who, coincidentally, shared the stage with her.…

"Brandy? Why is your stuff still out here?"

Johnny and Brandy turned to see Ash standing before the case pile with Olive close behind. The porcupine had her hands on her hips, looking very cross. "Wait, don't tell me," she asked with an irritated tone. "You're having 'trouble' with your drums again?" Ash even used the air-quotes to make her point.

"Ash! Olive!" Brandy stepped away from Johnny and fidgeted with her shirt. "Sorry, Johnny was just offering to help carry my— _oof!_ "

As she was babbling, Ash had picked up the nearest case and shoved it into Brandy's arms. "Ok, everyone. Grab a case and get this stuff inside." Without any argument from anyone, the small group of friends obeyed. Fortunately, Meena and Johnny were able to carry more than one, so a second trip wasn't necessary (much to Brandy's disappointment).

* * *

The Moon theater was always seen as a grand edifice, even before its destruction. Thanks to Noodleman, the restoration made the wondrous theater even more beautiful. Updated equipment, much more room for rehearsal and storage, and it still had that fresh "new building" smell to it. There were even glass tubes lining the walls for the glowing squid to swim through, giving the theater an extra luminescent glow during productions. Now that Buster's shows were more successful, he was able to hire extra stagehands and employees. He even hired Herman, Ms. Crawly's new boyfriend, to help with the lights whenever they malfunctioned, which wasn't often thanks to Meena and Eddie's supervision.

Once the cases were dropped off in the rehearsal room, the band started to unpack. "Thanks for your help, guys," Ash said to Meena and Johnny after they dropped off the last of the drum kit. "Although this really should've been set up an hour ago, _Brandy_!"

"What?" said Brandy, throwing up her paws in defense. "You expect me to carry all eight cases by my lonesome? It was hard enough unpacking the van!" She then turned and batted her eyes once again at the gorilla setting down the last case. "Besides, Johnny didn't mind, did you Johnny?"

Once again, Johnny fidgeted with his jacket collar as his face turned a deep shade of red. Fortunately, Ash came to his rescue.

"Ok, ok, turn off the hormones and set up your kit," she said, stepping between the embarrassed primate and the love-sick skunk. "We only got this room until one, so I want to get through at least one set list. Don't forget, we have a gig coming up."

Brandy rolled her eyes, then went to do as she was told, but not before giving Johnny a quick wink. This small gesture was not missed by Ash, who did everything she could not to make a scolding remark. She motioned for Johnny to speak with her outside the room.

"Sorry about that, Johnny," said muttered once they were out of earshot of her friends. "Brandy has a rare condition that makes her flirt with anyone carrying a y-chromosome."

Johnny just shrugged. "Nah, it's cool. I don't mind lending a helping hand. In fact, if you ever need a roadie, I'd be happy to oblige."

Ash smiled. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Well, better get to playing. See ya, dude."

"Y-yeah. Have fun." With that, Johnny headed for Ms. Crawley's office to start his own rehearsal.

It only took about ten minutes for the girls to set up the kit and get their instruments in order. Olive strummed a few chords on her bass and had time to wipe her glasses clean on her retro _Rabid Fire_ band shirt. Brandy tested each drum for proper sound, but not before updating her status on Spacebook.

"Ok, why don't we start on ' _Burning the Bridge_ ' for a quick warmup?" suggested Ash as she slipped the guitar strap on her shoulders.

Olive gave a smart salute. "Aye aye, Cap'n! Count us off, Brandy."

Brandy gave both drumsticks a quick twirl before banging them together. "Counting off. One, two, three, four!"

And then Nature's Rejects started their upbeat rock song. Olive lead in with her bass, followed by Brandy on drums keeping a steady rhythm. Lastly, Ash joining in on guitar before jumping into the first verse, while Olive followed up on backing vocals:

 _So you thought I was just another pit stop._

 _Come and go, as you please._

 _Till you see flag drop._

 _You didn_ _'t know that I' m more than just a pretty face._

 _With a mind and a soul._

 _And I_ _'m gonna run my race._

 _So now I_ _'m leaving you behind._

 _(No more looking back.)_

 _You_ _'re out of my mind_

 _Cause I_ _'m staying on track._

 _I_ _'ll strike a match and let it go!_

 _(Burn baby burn!)_

 _Let the firey blazes glow!_

 _(Now it_ _'s your turn)_

 _No, you will never catch up to me_

 _Cause I_ _'m burning the bridge!_

* * *

Johnny sighed as he watched the band preform from the stairs leading up to the main office. Even though it was slightly muted behind the glass, the song sounded amazing and Ash's voice sent chills down his spine, which was not nearly as captivating as her face. Whenever she performed, she wore a passionate expression, like she put a small piece of her soul into every note and lyric she sang. Johnny wished he could write songs like her, but sadly he was still getting the hang of playing the piano. He couldn't even read music, let along write song lyrics. Fortunately, he had a natural ear when it came to music.

As Johnny was lost in his daydreams, Meena quietly observed his expression. She remembered how giddy she got when Johnny confessed to her that he had a crush on Ash, being the romantic she was. Though she promised to keep it a secret (especially to Ash), Johnny always had a hard time being discreet. Most times he was able to talk to Ash directly, but whenever he tried to build up the nerve to ask her out, his shyness quickly took over. She couldn't help but feel bad for her friend, knowing how hard shyness was to conquer.

"They sound great, don't they?" she said as she walked up behind him.

"Mm-hm," Johnny nodded, not taking his eyes off Ash.

"Still haven't asked her out?"

Johnny shook his head. "Mm-mm."

"Oh….why not?"

Johnny sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I dunno. Awkwardness? Can't find the right words? Fear of rejection? Take your pick…"

"Aw, come on, Johnny. I'll bet you half-a-dozen donuts she'd say yes."

"Yeah, will I bet you a full dozen she'll say no. I don't think she's that eager to get back into the fray, Meena. I mean, listen to the song! She's singing about… _him_ again."

"You mean Lance?"

Johnny scoffed and shook his head. "Stupid, selfish twat. I swear, if I had been there when he…"

"Easy Johnny," Meena said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry," Johnny muttered. "I just keep thinking about how he treated her at the audition. Bossing her around like she was some bloody servant. Pardon the language."

"Um…ok." Meena never understood why Johnny always apologized for using words like "bloody" and "bollocks." She knew in England, they were considered curse words, but he still felt the need to be proper while in the States. She honestly didn't even know what a "bollock" was.

"Oh Johnny! There you are!"

Both friends looked to see Ms. Crawly, carefully wobbling down the stairs while holding a mug in her hand.

"Morning, Ms. Crawly," said Johnny, gingerly taking her hand and helping her off the last stair.

"Piano's all ready for you, dearie. You go on up and I'll be there in a minute. Oh, and Meena, before you start practicing your solos, Mr. Moon wants you to test out the new microphones we installed. Eddie's running a little late this morning."

"You got it, Ms. Crawly," said Meena before heading for the soundboard.

"Now to figure out how to use that new fangled contraption Mr. Moon bought." Ms. Crawly was referring to coffee maker that used capsules instead of regular filters. The first time the old lizard tried to use it, she assumed you opened the small cup and poured the coffee into the dispenser, which made a huge mess that took awhile to clean up.

As he headed up the stairs, Johnny took one last look at rehearsal room A to see the Rejects finishing up their song. Maybe someday he'd write a song for her. For now, he knew just what to sing to match his current mood.

* * *

After one last rip on her guitar, Ash brought the song to a close. "Ok, that sounded good, though I think we need to work on the bridge. Maybe a key change near the end? What do you guys think?"

Olive said nothing as she exchanged a weary glance with Brandy, who in return shrugged and went to her phone.

"Hey, what's with the silent treatment?" Ash asked as she took off her guitar. "I'm just making a self-critique."

"The song's fine, Ash," said Olive, also taking off her bass. "I just think you've been falling into a creative rut lately."

"What do you mean?"

"Um, the recurring theme? Every one you've written has about your breakup with he-who-must-not-be-named."

Ash scoffed. "What? That's stupid! Not _every_ song has been about…"

Olive then raised her paw, silencing Ash mid-sentence. She then pointed to Brandy who brought up the notes on her phone for the last gig they played. "Let's see here: ' _Set it All Free_ _', 'Better Off Without,' 'You're New Ex,' 'Why Did I Bother?' 'Heart Attack.'_ Should I keep going?"

Olive shook her head. "Nah, the point's been made,"

"And what point is that?" asked Ash, trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

"That…you're still hung up on Lance?"

Ash's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe that one of her best friends from childhood would accuse her of such a ridiculous thing. "Hung up? _Hung up?_ Are you serious? I've been over him for months!

"And yet you're still singing about him…"

"It's not like they're love songs! They're about what a jerky boyfriend he is."

"Don't you mean 'was?'," asked Brandy.

"You know what I meant!"

Olive closed her eyes and sighed, trying to find the right words to say. "Ash…you're like a sister to me. I love you, I think you're incredibly talented, and I'm proud to call myself a Reject, but don't you think it's time to start being more than just some bitter ex-girlfriend?"

"Olive's right, Ashy," said Brandy, who had hopped off her stool to put a consoling paw on the porcupine's shoulder. "You should look at the comments fans have left on our Spacebook page."

Ash sighed. "Brandy, I really don't…"

But the skunk insisted. " ' _Great show, but Ash seriously needs to move on from that jerk she keeps singing about._ _' 'Wow, another breakup song. Surprise, Surprise. #guyissues' 'OMG, just move on already!' 'Click here to watch the hottest movies on the web.'…_ Ok, I think that last one was a spambot, but you get the idea."

"So, what else am I supposed to sing about, huh?" Ash snapped. "Falling in love again? My anger at the world? Politics?"

"Uh, I'd save that for when we're officially mainstream," said Olive.

Ash groaned and ran her hands through her quills. She didn't want to get upset at her friends, but having her creativity shunned was frustrating. "Look, I know I sound like a broken record and believe me, the last thing I want to do is give Lance gratitude for my success. The truth is the songwriting is theraputic, you know? As much pain as it caused me, I did spend almost four years with that dork and it's not something I can easily forget, no matter how much I want to. So…just try to be patient with me, ok guys? Please?"

The room went quiet. Both Olive and Brandy exchanged glances, showing clear concern and affection for their friend. They knew it was pointless to try and change her mind at this time and it made sense that writing songs helped with the aftermath. Olive looked back at Ash and smiled. "Sorry, Captain. We weren't trying to upset you. If your muse is giving you anti-Lance songs, then heed the call. We cool?" Olive held out her fist in hopes of a possible fist bump. Fortunately, Ash accepted and returned the gesture.

"Yeah, we're cool. Ok, now I do want to go back and work on that bridge." Ash walked over to her case and opened it up. "I also think we need to change the…oh great, where did I put those?"

"Put what?" asked Olive, looking over her shoulder.

"The notes I made. I jotted them down on the receipts from dinner last night."

Olive coughed nervously. "Uh…if they were the ones left on the counter this morning, the garbage truck might have them."

Ash spun and looked at Olive aghast. "Seriously, Olive?"

"Hey, it's not my fault you don't buy office supplies. I mean, notebooks are like - what - ten cents a piece?"

Ash just rolled her eyes and closed her case. "No problem. I'll have to go mooch off of Crawley. BRB."

"Tell Johnny I said 'Hi!'," Brandy called as Ash left the room.

Once they were alone, Olive cast a withering look at Brandy. "Not to douse your passionate flames, but I don't think you're Johnny's type."

"Whattya mean?" asked Brandy aghast. "Didn't you see the way he was watching us rehearse? That big hunk of gorge-illa was spellbound by my _skillz_."

"Brandy, I don't - wait, what did you call him?"

"A gorge-illa." Olive simply blinked in response. "Gorge-illa? Gorgeous gorilla? Made it up myself."

"I'll alert Webster. Anyway, while Johnny's obviously a fan, I think he's been spellbound with a different Reject."

Brandy shook her head in confusion. "Well, who else was he looking at? I mean, it can't be you since you've been out of the clos - OMG, IT'S ASH!"

Olive sarcastically twirled her finger. "Ding-ding-ding. Give the girl a prize…"

"How long?"

"Probably for awhile. All I know is I can smell his palms sweat whenever he talks her. Are you ok with that?"

Much to the racoon's surprise, her friend was grinning ear-to-ear. "Are you kidding? Johnny and Ash? I would totally ship that!"

"But I thought Johnny was your 'gorgey worgey' whatever."

"Well, yeah, but that was before I realized that he had the hots for our Ashy-poo! I don't steal other girls' beaus, Olive."

Olive couldn't help but chuckle. As boy-crazy as Brandy was, she did have her priorities in order. "Very noble, sweetie, but they're not really together yet. I think Johnny boy's just admiring her from afar."

Brandy nodded. "Right. Does Ash know?"

Olive shrugged. "Hard to say. If she does, she hasn't told me."

"Should we tell her?"

Olive said nothing as she looked out the glass doors to see Ash had stopped to help Ms. Crawley with the new coffee maker. The poor lizard once again had coffee grounds covering her face and was using her smock to clean off her glass eye.

"Johnny practices in Ms. Crawley's office, right?" she asked Brandy.

"Yeah. I think cause it's the only room with a piano."

Olive nodded. "Maybe Johnny will drop a hint…"

* * *

Ash gently took the mug out from under the spout and handed it to Ms. Crawley. "There you go, Crawley. One hot cuppa joe."

The lizard smiled gratefully. "Thank you, dearie. I don't see why Mr. Moon insisted on this silly machine. The old coffee pot worked fine."

"Yeah, well Moon doesn't always think things through. Hey, would it be okay if I borrowed a pen and some paper for your office?"

"Oh, of course you can. While you're up there, tell Johnny I'm on my way. Just want to get this muck off my face. Ugh, I can feel it in my wrinkles…"

Ash thanked Crawley and headed towards the offices. As she climbed the stairs, she thought about what Olive and Brandy had told her. She was aware that her songs sounded a little redundant, but she couldn't help it. Every time she tried to write a new song, the only inspiration she ever got was from Lance. For years, he held her back. Keeping her as a backup singer because her voice wasn't "lead material" or doubting her skills and herself. The songwriting did help with getting over the pain, but the girls made a fair point. Perhaps she did need to look elsewhere for inspiration.

When she reached the door, she froze. Coming from inside Crawley's office, she could hear Johnny singing. She had heard him sing before, but this time it sounded different, like the song was written specifically for him and he understood every line. Quietly, she opened the door and entered the room, trying desperately not to disturb him.

 _I_ _'ve been alone with you inside my mind._

 _And in my dreams, I_ _'ve kissed your lips a thousand times._

 _I sometimes see you pass outside my door._

 _Hello, is it me you_ _'re looking for?_

 _I can see it in your eyes._

 _I can see it in your smile._

 _You_ _'re all I've ever wanted and my arms are open wide._

 _Cause you know just what to say and you know just what to do._

 _And I want to tell you so much, I lo-_ ASH!

Perhaps, Ash was a bit too stealthy because when Johnny finally opened his eyes, he was startled to see Ash standing next to the piano. He got so flustered, he lost his balance and stumbled backwards off the bench, hitting his head on the file cabinet against the wall. To add insult to injury, he had knocked over Ms. Crawley's flowerpot which tumbled onto his head, spilling water and flowers all over him.

"Johnny!" Ash immediately ran to Johnny's side. "Oh my gosh! Are you ok?"

Johnny groaned and wiped the water out of his eyes. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling a large lump forming under his fingers. The water soaked his shirt, causing it to cling to his skin. "Aw, blimey…" he muttered, wiping the flowers off himself.

"Oh man, I am so sorry!" Ash gushed, helping Johnny sit up. "I didn't mean to scare you. You were just doing really…are you hurt?"

At first, Johnny didn't answer. He felt Ash's paw pressed against his chest as she looked into his eyes (most likely searching for dilated pupils) and couldn't find the words. He immediately forgot about him being soaking wet or his aching head. He was face-to-face with Ash, gazing into her beautiful blue eyes. He couldn't recall them being this physically close before, especially since he was several feet taller than her. He tried to reassure her, but instead he spoke in stutters and nervous coughs.

"N-no, I mean yes. I'm fine. Yeah, it hurt, but I'm not worried you're hurt. I mean, you shouldn't be worried I'm…ah, bugger."

"Johnny? Is everything okay out he-whoa!"

Johnny and Ash looked to see Buster standing in his office door. "Mr. Moon!" Johnny hastily got to his feet, quickly brushing himself off. "So sorry. We were just…"

"It was my bad," said Ash. "I was just coming up to get a pen and paper and I startled Johnny."

Buster put up his paws in defense as he stepped aside to let Ash get to Crawley's desk. "That's perfectly all right, Ash, but I'm sure Johnny would appreciate knocking before entering next time. As would Ms. Crawley's daisies."

Before Johnny could speak on Ash's behalf, she had already gotten what she came for and was heading for the door, which he gladly held open for it. "Got it. Sorry for the scare, dude. You sure you're okay?"

Johnny scoffed as he leaned against the door frame. "Nah, don't worry 'bout it. I've had worse."

Ash chuckled as she toyed with her side quills. "You, uh, sounded really good by the way."

Johnny felt his face light up. It wasn't often Ash complimented his singing, especially with their rehearsal schedules overlapping. "Oh, thank you. You sounded great too. Earlier, I mean, in the rehearsal room. Not that you don't sound good other times, I just meant…"

"I know what you meant. Well…bye."

Johnny gave a small wave as he watched Ash go back to her friends. His elation was quickly replaced with a wave of embarrassment. He couldn't believe he acted like a bloody moron in front of her. It was far from the perfect opportunity to ask her out, but it was one of the few moments the two had alone together and, just like that, it ended. If only he had…

"You doing ok there, Johnny?"

Startled, Johnny turned to see Buster looking up at him while picking up the flowers off the floor. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine Mr. Moon. Oh, here I'll get that." Johnny picked up the pot (which was luckily still intact) and the collecting the flowers. "Guess I should get some more water for these, 'ey?"

"I would. And grab some paper towels while you're at it, huh? You look a little…soggy."

"Right. Be right back. Sorry about the mess." With that, Johnny took the flowerpot and left the office to get cleaned up and save Crawley's bouquet.

Buster simply shook his head and went back to his office. As he sat back at the desk, he thought about what he just witnessed. He had some speculation that Johnny carried a torch for the young porcupine. He'd often be the first to help load her equipment or would be lingering around during her rehearsal times. While he found it odd for a large primate to fall for a small mammal covered in quills, he knew love had no limits and was considered blind for a reason. Still, the idea of Ash and Johnny being together did raise some interesting ideas. Perhaps…

"Buster!"

The koala snapped out of his deep thought at the sight of his best friend, Eddie, hurrying into the room.

"Oh hey, Eddie," he said. "Running a little late this morning? No worries. Meena's already taking care of the…"

"We gotta talk."

"What, now?"

"Yes, now! It's important." Eddie went to make sure Crawely's off was empty before closing the door. Eddie ran his hoofs through his wool, trying to calm down. "Ok, um, you might want to sit down for this. Are you sitting down?"

Buster said nothing as he checked to make sure that, yes, he was sitting down. "Yes. Yes I am." It was normal for Eddie to get himself worked up over small things, but he was never this oblivious.

"Good! Because…Oh man, I don't know how to tell you this. I mean, I know what this place means to you and your shows are doing really well, so I don't get why this is happening…"

"Eddie!" snapped Buster. "For the love of eucalyptus, spit it out!"

The sheep took a deep breath and looked him dead in the eye. "Buster…you're going to lose the theater."


	3. Chapter 3: Brainstorming

Chapter Three: Brainstorming

Buster didn't move. He didn't react, he didn't yell, he didn't even blink. He silently replayed the words in his head, never breaking Eddie's gaze.

"You're going to lose the theater."

Eddie rubbed his hoofs nervously. "Uh, Buster? Buddy? You ok?"

Buster took a deep breath. "What day is it?" he finally asked.

"What?"

"What _day_ is it, Eddie?"

"Um…May? The eighteenth?"

Buster nodded. "Ok, clearly it is _not_ April Fools Day, so why are you playing this horrible joke on me?"

"Because it's not a joke!" exclaimed Eddie, taking a seat. "I'm being a hundred percent serious here. You're going to lose the theater!"

Buster held up his paws and closed his eyes. "Stop, stop! Let's start over. How exactly did you come to this conclusion?"

"Well, as I went to do some grocery shopping this morning…"

"You mean raiding your parents' fridge?"

Eddie shot Buster an annoyed look. "Maybe! Anyway, I heard my dad on the phone with one of his business friends or whatever and he was saying that once he gets the Moon theater, he was going to have big plans for it."

"Your _dad_?" asked Buster, to which Eddie nodded. "What is he talking about? It's my theater!"

"That's not technically true, Buster," Eddie snapped. "The theater _used_ to belong to you, but my nana bought the property, remember? Now it belongs to her; you just work here."

"Yes, and aside from overseeing productions and occasional theatrical advice, she lets me handle everything else, just as I did before. So what does this have to do with your dad?"

Eddie sighed heavily, rubbing his temple. "Buster, do you know how old my nana is?"

Buster shrugged. "I'm not one to question a woman's age…"

"She's almost ninety!"

Buster felt his eyes widen. " _Seriously_? Wow, that Lapsang Souchong must really do wonders…"

"Oh my gosh, Buster, don't you get it? She doesn't have much time left! When she dies, who do you think is going to inherit this place?"

"Well, I assumed you would. I mean, she knows we're friends and she'd trust you to monitor everything in her absence, right? Yeah, she called you worthless, but I'm sure she didn't mean…"

"Believe me, buddy," Eddie interrupted. "If I knew I was getting this place, I'd gladly give you the keys, free of charge. You're more suited for theater production than I am, but I know my nana. She'd wouldn't let anyone outside of immediate family run her theater and my father's already been promised her estate and finances. He says he's getting this place once nana dies and I know he's not going to give it up for anyone."

Buster didn't say anything. He simply sat at his desk, nervously tapping his claws against the wooden surface. "But does your dad even _want_ this theater?" he finally said. "I mean, he doesn't strike me as they kind of guy who appreciates the arts."

Eddie scoffed. "Oh trust me, he doesn't. He's been a business prodigy since he was in grade school. He was probably the only kid who would watch the stock market for fun! And he takes a lot of pride in making money, which is why he hated funding all those failed shows."

"But I'm not asking him for money anymore! My shows have been so good, the expenses are paying for themselves. I think I've already saved enough money to pay him back for at least one show…"

Eddie just shook his head. "That won't matter, Buster. He doesn't see this place a 'palace of wonder and enchantment.' To him it's just a building: a building he's gonna strip down and turn into a convention center."

Buster leapt to his feet, planting his hands on the desk. "A _what?!_ "

"Or an office building. You know, the kind with cubicles? Then again, an convention center would take less…"

Buster cried out in anguish and started pacing the floor. This couldn't be happening. He had just gotten the theater back and once again, it was slipping through his fingers. It was like the last year had been a wonderful dream, but now he was waking up to a harsh reality. He felt his heart racing as he anxiously tried to think of a solution. "He can't do this," he muttered to himself as he wrung his paws together. "He can't, can't do this. Not now! Not when everything's going so well!" He then turned to Eddie who had been watching him nervously. "Eddie, are you sure you can't talk to your dad? Maybe convince him to let me keep the theater? He can still oversee the property taxes and things like that! He doesn't have to be involved in the actual productions."

Eddie shook his head. "He won't listen to me. I'm having a hard enough time convincing him to let me stay in the pool house. Unless Nana changes her will, it's pretty much set in stone."

Buster froze in his tracks, a small glimmer of hope sparkled in his eyes. Eddie knew that look; Buster Moon had an idea.

"Eddie," Buster asked softly. "When's your Nana's birthday again?"

Eddie scratched his woolly head. "Pretty sure it's June 24."

"And you say she's gonna be ninety?"

"Well, she remembers the Great Depression, so it's definitely around that…"

Buster then scurried to his desk and started searching through his schedule book. The current play would be having their final curtain call this weekend and so far nothing else was scheduled for the next few weeks. He was planning on opening auditions for the next play, but that can easily be pushed back. The plan was quickly forming in his mind and before he knew it, it was all there laid out before him.

"Bingo!" he cried happily. "I know how we can fix this!"

"You do?" asked Eddie. "How? I told you, my dad…"

"You said it yourself, Eddie! The only thing to keep your father from getting this place is to make Nana change her will, and there's only one way to do it."

"Forge a signature?"

"Better! We're going to win her over the same way we did last time; we're gonna put on a show!" Before Eddie could ask, Buster was already pressing the intercom button for the entire theater. "Attention everyone! This is Captain Moon speaking! I would like everyone to report to the auditorium for an important announcement. I repeat, report to the auditorium immediately. Thank you!" Cackling like a madman, Buster grabbed his notepad and pen and rushed to the door.

"Buster!" Eddie cried, following close behind. "I know this is a loaded question, but what the heck is going on in your head right now?"

"Two words, Eddie: Birthday concert!"

* * *

It didn't take long for the crew to meet up in the auditorium. Ash sat with her band mates in the first row while Johnny and Meena met up in the second. Ms. Crawley and Rosita sat at the end of the front row while Gunter stretched in the aisle. Being a flamboyantly energetic dancer, he couldn't sit still for very long.

"Any idea what this is about?" Johnny asked Meena.

Meena shrugged. "Beats me."

"Knowing Moon, probably some elaborate idea for a show or whatnot," said Ash, stretching her arms. "I swear, if he tries to put me in pink sequence again, I'm boycotting."

"Well, I dunno, Ash," said Johnny. "I thought you looked amazing in that dress the night of the—." Then he stopped when he saw the way Ash was looking at him. Her expression was a mix of surprise and confusion, with a bit of awkward amusement thrown in. Once again, he felt his tongue go numb when his eyes locked onto her baby blues. "I-I mean, you looked cute. Not like 'cutesy-cute' just, good. As in not bad, you know?"

"Uh…thanks?" said Ash.

Before she could say anything else, Johnny spun back around facing the stage, feeling his face growing bright hot with embarrassment. Ash just looked over at her friends and shrugged. Olive then received a text alert on her phone from Brandy. It was a line of emojis: a gorilla, a fireball, a heart, and a porcupine. Olive replied with a winking emoji, earning a small fist bump from the giggling skunk.

"Okay, what are you two not-talking about?" asked Ash.

"Private joke," they both replied.

Before Ash could inquire further, Buster came trotting onto the stage with his notepad and a huge smile on his face. "Hello everyone! We all present and accounted for? Excellent! Well, I hope you all have been keeping a close eye on your calendars because we have a very, _very_ special birthday coming up."

Buster allowed the question to hang in the air a bit, waiting for someone to remark. Aside from a couple of confused looks and shrugs, nobody said anything. "No guesses, really?" said Buster. "Ok, I'll give you a hint. They'll be celebrating the big nine-oh."

"Uhhhh, Ms. Crawley?" asked Ash.

"Yes, dearie?" asked the aged lizard.

"Happy almost-ninetieth birthday, Ms. C," said Olive.

"I'll be ninety?" said Ms. Crawley, scratching her scales. "That's funny. I could've sworn I was eighty-seven."

"You are," said Johnny. "We celebrated your birthday months ago. Your glass eye popped out and landed in the cake Meena baked for you?"

"Oh, that's right," chuckled Ms. Crawley. "It made a nice little topper, didn't it?"

"It is _not_ Ms. Crawley," said Buster, finally getting a word in. "No, the birthday we are commemorating is that of none other than the owner of this wondrous theater, Nana Noodleman. As you all know, Nana Noodleman was the original theater's shining star. The ultimate diva!"

Eddie gave a nervous cough. "Uh, Buster? 'Diva' isn't exactly a compliment anymore…"

"Her illustrious career has stood the test of time," Buster continued. "She was a triple threat: she sang, danced, and acted her way into the hearts of all who witnessed her magnificence upon the stage. Her retirement had left a weary void in the theatrical world, but her legacy continued to thrive. In honor of that, we will be dedicating a night entirely to her!"

"Oh, that sounds lovely, Mr. Moon," said Rosita. "What did you have in mind?"

"Glad you asked, Rosita. We're gonna give her the gift that keeps on giving: a birthday tribute concert! Now, I know this is slightly short notice, but I figured if we put our noses to the grindstone, we can put on a show Noodleman will never forget…hoping her mind is still sharp. Speaking of which, her birthday will be on June 24, so clearing your schedules for that week would be most appreciative."

"You heard him, girls," said Ash. "We gotta cancel our gig at the royal wedding."

"Oh, but the Prince will be so disappointed!" retorted Olive, putting a paw over her heart dramatically.

Everyone shared a good laugh, while Buster called for silence. "Yes, yes, very funny. Now, does anyone have any ideas for the show? Floor's wide open."

Rosita was the first to raise her hand. "Well, she did a lot of musicals. We could have the acting troupe reenact scenes and dance numbers from her biggest hits."

"Ooh ooh! I'm calling zee dibs on zee dancing!" exclaimed Gunter. "I know for a factoid she totally knocked people dying with zat number from _Night On Zee Town._ Here, let me show you." Before anyone could argue, Gunter was already up on stage, pulling out his smart phone and a remixed version of "Tonight's Not Enough." Per the norm, the sequenced jumpsuit came flying off and his leotard was showing in full view. His routine was an odd combination of jazz, swing, with a bit of hip hop thrown in. He ended it with a run to the edge of the stage and slid onto his knees.

Nobody really knew how to appropriately respond. Johnny and Meena just exchanged a look, Rosita shook her head while blushing, and Brandy had already stopped recording with her phone. "I am SO putting that on MeTube…" she whispered to her friends.

Buster coughed nervously as Eddie handed Gunter back his suit. "Thank you, Gunter, that was…entertaining, but highly unnecessary. Still, Rosita, great idea! I'll let you work with the troupe to see what you can come up with. Definitely consider Night on the Town. Anyone else?"

Meena shyly raised her hand. "Um, well, I don't know how willing he'd be, but we could get Mike on board to do a few songs…"

 _"Mike?!"_

Meena immediately hid her face behind her ears as the entire group unanimously declared his name, then started speaking at once.

"Are you bloody serious, Meena?"

"Nuh uh, no way!"

"Absolutely not!"

"He es totally being the shtinker!"

"All right, _all right_! Calm down!" shouted Buster, eventually getting everyone's attention. "It was just a suggestion; let's not light any torches."

"But Moon, that guy was a troll!" said Ash.

"Just because he's talented does not mean he's pleasant to work with," said Rosita.

"Also, let's not forget it was technically his fault the first theater got destroyed," added Johnny. "I mean, I don't know what he did to upset the Klondike Gang, but he…"

"The who?" asked Eddie. "Wait, are you talking about the bears with the baseball bat?"

When Johnny felt everyones eyes on him, he coughed nervously. "I-I heard it from some officers at…well, when I visited me dad last week."

While that answer seemed to satisfy the group, Johnny felt his face grow red. Why did he have to mention the bears by their gang name? When he was still a part of his father's gang, he was informed about all the local criminals in the city. This was mainly for his own protection so he knew which areas to avoid and which ones were on the level with his father. Still, he hated sharing his knowledge of criminal activity, especially with his friends. That was Johnny's biggest secret. Even though they knew about his father, they still had no idea he was a part of the gang. Everyone assumed Johnny was oblivious to his father's "double-life." He never bothered correcting them for fear of what their reaction to the truth would be.

"Yes, well whoever they were, Mike shouldn't have promised them money he didn't have," said Rosita, encouraging agreements from everyone. Johnny breathed an internal sigh of relief when the conversation once again focused on Mike. "And honestly, Meena, why would you want Mike to come back?" Rosita continued. "He was so rude to everyone, especially you."

Meena pulled back her ears enough to show most of her face. "I know he was a jerk, but he did come back the night of the concert and did a great job. He's a singer, just like all of us. And I don't think the show would've been complete without him. B-but if you guys really don't want him to…"

"Now, now. Nobody said that…" said Buster.

"Yeah, we did," Ash interrupted.

"Okay, here's the deal," continued Buster. "If anyone happens to come across Mike in the next week or so, let him know about the concert, just in case he's interested. Though be sure to inform he'd be doing it for free."

Johnny scoffed. "Yeah, that'll reel him in…"

"Ok, so we got some scenes, a couple of solos here and there," Buster said, looking down at his notes. "Ms. Crawley, maybe you could teach Johnny a few songs from Nana's musical history? Ash, same goes for you and your girls."

"Whoa, hit the brakes, Moon," said Ash, leaping to her feet. "No offense to the 'Great and Powerful Nana,' but I doubt any of her songs included punk rock."

Olive chuckled. "Though I would love to see her pull off a Mohawk."

Buster tapped his pen against his chin. "Hm, valid point. Hey Eddie, what was Nana's feedback on Ash's song? Did she ever tell you?"

"I think she said it reminded her of the feminist rallies she went to in the seventies," said Eddie.

"See?" said Ash, satisfied. "So why should I have to dumb it down?"

"I'm not talking about 'dumbing it down,'" said Buster. "I just think you should do something more mellow. I mean, you've got a beautiful voice, but you can't really tell the way you shout into the mic, you know?"

"But that's my thing," said Ash, feeling her quills bristle with irritation. "Gunter's the dancer, Rosita's the pop mom, Meena's the vocal powerhouse, and Johnny's all sweet and soulful."

"She thinks I'm sweet?" Johnny whispered to Meena.

"That's a good sign," Meena giggled, giving Johnny a playful nudge.

Just then, Buster's ears perked up. "Johnny! That's it!"

Johnny looked around confused. "Uh, what's it?"

"Change of plan. Johnny, Ash: you two are doing a duet."

 _"What?!"_ They both cried, sending Johnny to his feet.

"Think about it," Buster continued. "Johnny - the cool, hip heartthrob - sharing the stage with Ash - the fiery and feisty rockstar. Your piano plus your guitar equals a match made in heaven. It's perfect!"

Johnny couldn't believe his ears. Moon was right; this was perfect! Rehearsing a song together would give them plenty of quality time together. He'd never had a chance to really get to know her outside of rehearsals and lessons. This would be his chance! And to sing along side her would be an added bonus.

"Sure!" said Johnny….at the same time Ash cried _"NO!"_

They turned to one another in surprise. "You don't?" asked Johnny.

"You _do_?" asked Ash.

"Oh dear…" whispered Meena.

"Awkward…" Brandy quietly muttered to Olive.

"Whoa, Ash, is everything ok?" Buster asked. "I just figured you two could…"

"Maybe we should stop the brainstorming for today, Mr. Moon," said Rosita, quickly going to Ash's side and placing a calming hand on her shoulder. She had broken up enough fights among her piglets to know when one was brewing. "Why don't we all just take some time to think of some new ideas to bring to the table tomorrow?"

"Good thinking, Rosita," said Buster, grateful for the break. "Ok, everyone you heard her: get those creative juices flowing. We only got a few weeks to get this going, so let's not dawdle too long. This is going to be a great concert, I can feel it."

Once Buster dismissed everyone, Johnny looked over to see Rosita conversing with Ash, who was gently shrugging her off. The porcupine then met his gaze. He couldn't tell if she was sending a silent apology or what, but she soon signaled her band mates to follow her back to the room. Johnny wanted to call out to her, but decided against it. He sighed heavily as he felt Meena place her hand lightly on his back.

"I'll take anything with drizzle on top and I prefer custard over cream," he said over his shoulder.

Meena rolled her eyes. Clearly, he was referring to the "donut bet" they had made earlier. "That doesn't count," she retorted.

"Oh come on, Meena," Johnny hissed. "If she doesn't want to spend five minutes on stage with me, that what chance do I have for dinner and a movie?"

"Hey Johnny!" called Buster, hopping off the stage to approach them. "Sorry for putting you guys on the spot like that. I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I just really think you two would harmonize great together, ya know? It's crossed my mind more than once of you two…."

"It's ok, Mr. Moon," said Johnny. "I think Ash would rather sing with her band."

"Is, uh…is there something going on that I need to know about? You two have a fight? Not to sound insensitive, but I really don't want any teenage drama distracting you guys."

Johnny said nothing as he raised his eyes to the backstage. He could just make out Ash talking with Olive and Brandy, looking clearly upset. No doubt she was telling them all the reasons she didn't want to sing with him. "No," he finally said. "There's absolutely nothing going on between us. I, uh, I think I'm gonna head out early. Visiting hours are starting up now and I haven't visited dad yet this week. I'll see you guys tomorrow…"

Before anyone could say another word, Johnny was already heading back to Crawley's office to get his skateboard. Buster let out a huge puff of air and leaned against one of the chairs. "Well, that could've gone a little smoother, but I think we're on the right track."

Once everyone was out of earshot, Eddie leaned over to Buster. "You really think this concert's gonna change her mind?"

"Of course it will!" said Buster, heading back to his office. "Who wouldn't want an entire night dedicated to them?"

"But what if she figures out what you're up to? If there's one thing Nana can't stand, it's a brown noser."

"Well then," said Buster, tucking the notes under his arm. "It's a good thing my nose is black!"


	4. Chapter 4: Little Talks

It was becoming a daily routine with Johnny visiting his father in prison. If it weren't standard procedure, he was certain the guards would just let him in without question.

"All clear," said the Rhino after he finished scanning Johnny with the baton. "You know the way."

"Thanks, Bill," said Johnny as he put his jacket back on.

Once he arrived at the visitor's center, he sat down and tapped his fingers on the table. Ever since he started playing the piano regularly, his fingers would tap as if he were playing a piano. Ms. Crawley called this "ghost fingers" as it was common for musicians (especially pianists) to instinctively practice their fingerings, especially if they were listening to music or humming a song in their head.

He thought back to what happened less than an hour ago at Moon theater. How quickly Ash had shot down the idea of singing a duet with him. It was so blunt. He started to wonder if he should have waited around for her to calm down and talk to her in private. Or would texting be better? They had each other's numbers, but he wasn't sure when would be a good time to converse with her. He thought back to all the times they'd hung out or chatted, trying to pinpoint a moment when he may have offended her or made her uncomfortable. Normally, Ash was pretty vocal whenever something upset her, so it already would've been brought to his attention.

Then one thought popped up which seemed the most likely: she just flat didn't like him. She tolerated him at best, but thought he was intimidating or creepy. Or maybe she thought he was a rotten fruit that fell too close to the family tree…

"Well, well. If it ain't the great Maestro gracing me with his presence."

Johnny looked up to see his father, Marcus "Big Daddy" Greystone, coming his way. As usual, he had a big grin on his face as he sat down, took the phone of the hook, and awaited Johnny to do the same. Johnny immediately shook away that lingering thought. Yes, he was the son of a gangster. Yes, he was visiting his father in prison. That didn't define who he was. _Don_ _'t think about Ash right now,_ he thought. _You_ _'re here to see your dad. Nothing else._

"Hey Dad," said Johnny. "How're things?"

Marcus just shrugged. "Eh, same old same old. I'm telling ya, I'm giving this resort a 2-star review. The view is nice, but the room service could be better."

Johnny grinned uneasily. "You and your dad jokes…"

"Humor me, alright? Just trying to make light of the situation. So, how's things on your end?"

"Good, good. Mr. Moon is setting up another concert," said Johnny. "It's sort of a tribute to Nana Noodleman, this actress who used to work at the theater way back and he wants to commemorate her ninetieth birthday."

Marcus let out a low whistle. "Ninety? Blimey, is the old girl gonna make it till then?"

"Dad!"

"Wha? I'm just kidding with ya. So, I take it you're on the bill to play?"

"Yeah, except…uh…"

"Except…?" Marcus edged.

Johnny trailed off. He had shared stories of his new theater family, but he had yet to mention his feelings for Ash. He wasn't sure if this was going to be the right time or place to bring it up, especially since Ash was of a different species. Not that his father had any problem with other animals (though he did have a negative bias towards baboons).

"Well…Mr. Moon wanted me to sing a duet with my friend, Ash…"

"Ash?" Marcus said, musing over the name. "Ash…she's the elephant, right?"

Johnny shook his head. "No dad, that's Meena. Ash is the porcupine who plays guitar?"

Marcus nodded. "That's right. Well, is that gonna be a problem? You two get along ok?"

"Oh, yeah yeah. I think she's great. I think…she's wonderful, actually."

Marcus didn't reply and instead studied his son's expression closely. He remembered what it was like being Johnny's age and he could read his face like a book, chuckling to himself. "Heh heh…you burn your fingers yet?"

Johnny's eyebrows arched in confusion. "Wot?"

"From the torch you're carrying for this little girl…"

Johnny groaned. "Blimey, was it that obvious?"

Marcus said nothing but tilted his head back and laughed heartily. "Unbelievable. Un-bloody-believable. My boy chasing the skirt of a hedgepig."

"Porcupine, Dad!" Johnny snapped, feeling his face grow red. "There's a difference…"

"Right, sorry. So, what song are you two gonna do?"

Johnny fidgeted with his jacket collar, trying to think of how to tell his father the truth. "Well…I don't think there's gonna be a duet."

"Wot? Why not?"

"She…didn't seem too enthusiastic. When Moon paired us up, she kinda…said no."

"That's it?" asked Marcus. "No? Just like that?" Johnny nodded sadly, avoiding eye contact. "Did she at least say why?"

Johnny sighed. "No and I didn't push her on it."

"Good," said Marcus. "And best not to. Give her til tomorrow and hopefully, she'll come around. Who knows? Maybe she's got a thing for you too, aye? So, any idea if this show will be televised?"

"Too soon to say," answered Johnny. "I mean, Moon just made the announcement this afternoon."

"Blimey, I hope so. I didn't get a chance to catch your whole number on account of, uh…"

Johnny grinned. "Busting out of prison and having the whole police squad after you?"

"…yeah, that."

The two apes laughed. Despite the circumstances, Johnny did enjoy these moments with his father. He had been visiting him every other day to catch up on things and keeping his father in the loop. He never knew how much he would enjoy talking to his father about his up-and-coming singing career.

Marcus's laughter quietly ceased as he looked up at his son, his face marked with such bittersweet content. After a moment's silence, Marcus pressed his hand against the glass. "Gimme your hand, Johnny," he said softly.

Johnny's face dropped. He knew what this meant: his dad wanted to say something and it never ended on a happy tone. "No, dad, c'mon. Don't…"

"Just….just gimme your hand." Johnny sighed, then complied, pressing his palm against the glass over top his father's. Johnny silently compared the sizes; it was astounding how much smaller his hand was. Then again, he was called "Big Daddy" for a reason.

"I'm proud of you, Johnny," said Marcus. "I know I put you off to a rough start, but you got what it takes to make it, you hear me? So if opportunity knocks, don't you dare look the other way. You chase after it and don't wait up for your old man."

Johnny closed his eyes tightly, trying to fight back the tears. "You're gonna get out soon, dad. Just six more months…"

"Considering I even get the parole! Let's be realistic, Johnny. I got quite a history. I made me bed; now I'm gonna sleep in it…no matter how long it takes."

"But you will get out!" said Johnny, opening his eyes and meeting Marcus's gaze directly. "And when you do, I'm gonna make sure you come to one of my shows with the best seat in the house. You're gonna love it, I promise. Just…just don't give up, ok?"

The announcement for visiting hours coming to an end activated on the loudspeaker and visitors had thirty seconds to wrap things up before the prisoners were sent back to their cells. Despite that, Marcus didn't break Johnny's gaze. They sat there, father and son, each wanting nothing more than to be on the other side of the glass. Marcus closed his hand into a fist and lowered it down.

"Alright, son," he said. "I won't give up. See ya tomorrow…"

"See ya tomorrow, dad," said Johnny. The horn blared and prisoners were lined up single file to head back to the cells. Johnny watched as his father took one last look over his shoulder, giving him a small wave before disappearing through the doors.

"Love ya, dad," Johnny whispered, then hung up the phone.

* * *

"How could you say _no_?!" cried Brandy, pacing the floor while twirling her drumstick. After rehearsal, Ash and her band decided to head back to her place to have dinner. Unfortunately, Brandy had refused to drop the subject of the duet. "I mean, seriously?! What other 'golden opportunities' have you turned your nose up at? A million dollars? A new sports car? A night on the town with Taron Eagleton?"

"Oh my gosh, Brandy. Let it go!" snapped Ash as Brandy joined her on the couch. "I don't get why this is such a big deal."

"Because you hurt Johnny's feelings!" said Brandy. "I mean, look how sad he was when you did that!" Brandy then pulled open her phone to show video footage of Johnny when Ash had shot down the duet offer. She had taken the liberty of editing it into a looping GIF. Ash felt her heart twist as she saw Johnny's sagging shoulders and look of chagrin.

"You didn't _have_ to record that…" said Ash, averting her gaze from the image.

"Ease up, Brandy," said Olive who had been fiddling with her bass in the corner. "I'm sure Ash had a perfectly good reason for breaking Johnny's heart into a million pieces."

Ash shot the raccoon a look. " _Et tu_ , Olive?"

Olive smirked. "Es-yay. Seriously, though, Brandy has a point. I mean, you could've at least thought it over."

"There's nothing to think about! It's a bad idea."

Olive cocked an eyebrow. "Because…?"

Ash huffed and hopped off the couch, walking over to the window, studying her faint reflection in the glass. She knew exactly why she didn't want to sing with Johnny. It had nothing to do with their styles, their history, or even Johnny himself. The answer could be summed up into one name.

"Lance…" she said softly.

Brandy and Olive exchanged a look. "Lance?" asked Olive.

"You're ex-boyfriend?" added Brandy.

"Yes, Brandy…" said Ash.

"The guy who was a total jerkwad to you?" Brandy added.

"Yes, Brandy."

"The one who dumped you for that groupie, 'Becky-with-good-quills?'"

"Take five, Brandy!" snapped Olive, lightly shoving Brandy's phone back into her paws before joining Ash at the window. "But seriously, Cap. What does Lance have to do with singing with Johnny?"

"Because…I haven't sung with a guy since Lance. I know it's stupid, but it'd be so awkward."

"No, it won't," said Olive. "It'll be like singing with us."

Ash rolled her eyes. "That's different. We're a band! Plus, we're friends and when we sing, we're addressing the audience. In a duet, we're singing to the audience plus each other."

"So?"

"So what are we gonna sing about?" Ash exclaimed. "I mean, between a guy and a girl, there aren't too many songs that don't involve…" Ash trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"…love?" asked Brandy, peeking around behind Olive.

"Exactly! And you know Moon is gonna give us this huge playlist of nothing but love songs!"

Olive was silent for a moment, scratching the back of her neck in thought. "Yeah, well…would that be such a bad thing? I mean, what if you like singing those kind of songs with him?"

Ash shot Olive a sideways glance. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Olive and Brandy, once again, exchanged a look. "Should we clue her in?" asked Olive.

"Oh yeah," said Brandy.

"Clue me in on what?" asked Ash suspiciously.

"Weeell….we have come to believe that Johnny…" Olive started.

"…Truly and madly…" Brandy interjected.

"…Enjoys your company and…"

"…Desperately wants you!"

"…TO acknowledge the fact that he may…"

"Passionately…"

"BRANDY!"

"What? I'm filling in the blanks!"

"Girls!" Ash snapped, silencing them both. From the look on Ash's face, they could tell she was getting tired of the verbal tennis match they were having. "Just…spit it out. What is it about Johnny I should know?"

"Ash," said Olive. "I think Johnny has a bit of a crush on you."

Ash's jaw dropped and blinked a few times, trying to process the information. "What?!"

"Well, haven't you noticed how flustered he gets when he talks to you?"

"So? He's shy…"

"And how he's always offering to carry our cases?"

"He's helpful."

"He sometimes likes watch us practice…"

"He's supportive!"

"…AND you're the one he gives his full attention to?"

"He's…focused?"

"Oh for crying out loud, Ashy!" screamed Brandy, gripping her by the shoulders and enunciating her words. "Johnny. Wants you. To be. His boo! And before you say anything, consider this: after Lance, this would be a total upgrade! It's like trading in an old jalopy for a sleek top-of-the-line sports car. He's sweet, funny, has a gorgeous singing voice which matches his even more gorgeous physique. I mean, if he looks that good with his shirt _on_ …"

"What Brandy and I are trying to say," Olive interrupted. "Is we think the duet would be a good change of pace for you."

Ash groaned and ran her fingers through her quills. "Guys, come on! This is weirding me out enough as it is! I already have Moon breathing down my neck. I don't need you two - is something burning?"

"Don't change the subject," said Olive, but Ash shook her head.

"No, seriously," she said. "I smell smoke."

The three friends took a moment to sniff the air and, sure enough, something did smell like burning. "My lasagna!" cried Olive and quickly ran to the kitchen.

As they followed her, Ash turned to Brandy. "You, uh…knew she was cooking dinner before coming over, right?"

"Which is why I ordered the pizza a half-hour ago," replied Brandy.

"Good girl."

In the kitchen, Olive was frantically trying to remove the scalding-hot lasagna pan from the oven. It was a well-known fact that Olive (despite her ironic name) was not very skilled at cooking, even though she desperately wanted to be. Her mother was already a popular sous chef and assumed she would just naturally inherit cooking skills. Unfortunately, very few dishes have survived Olive's tampering and would be so inedible, they needed a label for proper waste disposal.

Olive groaned as she put out the last bit of flame protruding from the top of the former lasagna pan. "Not again…"

"It was a frozen lasasgna," said Ash as she surveyed the scene. "Why didn't you follow the directions on the box?"

"I did!" Olive cried. "I just doubled the temperature and cut the cooking time in half. That way it'd balance out. Brandy! Stop taking pictures!"

Brandy giggled as she kept snapping pics on her phone. "Aw, come on Olive. Don't you want to commemorate cooking fail number twenty-seven?"

"It's not a fail!" said Olive as she began to scrape away the black layer off the former lasagna before cutting into it. "This is still edible. We just have to remove the top layer and the rest will be - _it_ _'s still frozen?!_ It was on fire! How is that possible?"

"Oh, I have GOT to tell my followers about this," said Brandy and fervently started typing on one of her many social media accounts.

Ash just sighed. Her friends had already messed with her head and she couldn't deal with anymore drama. She needed some air. "Call me when the pizza gets here," she said to neither one in particular and went to get her guitar, leaving the two playing tug-of-war with Brandy's phone.

* * *

Ash took a deep breath of fresh air as she walked out onto the quiet rooftop, the perfect spot for a little night music. Leaning against one of the air vents, her mind began to recollect the day as she tuned her guitar.

It wasn't that Ash didn't like Johnny. Quite the contrary; she was quite fond of him. She was impressed at how quickly he picked up the piano and could play by ear (just like herself). He was polite, sweet, charming. So much better than Lance ever…

Ash shook away the thought. _Stop thinking about him,_ she scolded to herself. She hated it when Lance popped in her head. What were once memories of happiness and love were now tainted with regret and frustration. Why couldn't _she_ have broken up with him? Why did he have to dump her for some Valley Girl named Becky? And when people would refer to her "being dumped," it just made it more hurtful. As if she were garbage that was thrown in a dumpster. And now her friends start filling her head with Johnny crushing on her? Was she even ready to get back into dating? Would she ever be ready?

She began to strum her guitar. While she preferred to sing original songs of her creation, she still found her old favorites by Greenback would help express herself:

 _I walk a lonely road_

 _The only one that I have ever known_

 _Don_ _'t know where it goes_

 _But it_ _'s only me and I walk alone._

 _I walk this empty street_

 _On the boulevard of broken dreams_

 _Where there city sleeps_

 _And I_ _'m the only one and I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk a_

 _My shadow_ _'s only one that walks beside me._

 _My shallow heart_ _'s the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone_ _…_

* * *

Johnny sighed heavily as he scrolled through the videos on MeTube. Brandy had kept her promise and had posted the video of Gunter dancing in the theater earlier that day. Already it had gotten over 5,000 views and was growing. He took another bite of his microwave dinner, but in truth he really wasn't that hungry. He wasn't sure what bothered him more: His father losing hope on ever making parole or Ash shooting down the duet. Johnny poked moodily at his pasta alfredo, turned off by the sauce starting to congeal. Not that he was used to many home cooked meals before his dad got arrested. It was always takeout or Barry would be nice enough to scrounge something in the breakroom-turned-kitchen. He had been over to Meena's house multiple times for dinner with her family, but he declined her offer tonight on account of his emotional state.

Knowing he wouldn't be eating any more, he cleared away the table and tidied up before grabbing his headphones and going outside for a quick walk. The area where Johnny's garage was didn't have much foot traffic and there were hardly any stores, making it the perfect hideout for his father's gang. Most nights, when they were going over the latest heist, Johnny would sneak out undetected and look for a place of solitude well out of earshot. Tonight, he chose a small area near the overpass, which had surprisingly good acoustics. Johnny opened his music library and found the perfect song to help him meditate over both problems:

 _Today is gonna be the day_

 _That they're gonna throw it back to you_

 _By now you should've somehow_

 _Realized what you gotta do_

 _I don't believe that anybody_

 _Feels the way I do, about you now_

 _And all the roads that lead you there are winding_

 _And all the lights that light the way are blinding_

 _There are many things that I_

 _Would like to say to you but I don't know how_

* * *

If it were possible for someone to have been in two places at once - one with Johnny and one with Ash - they would've have heard something beautiful. They were both singing their songs at the exact same moment as the other…and they were in perfect harmony. Every note they sang was in sync and together they created an entirely new melody that united their songs:

 _Because maybe_

 _(My shadow_ _'s only the one that walks besides me)_

 _You_ _'re gonna be the one that saves me_

 _(My shallow heart_ _'s the only thing that's beating)_

 _And after all_

 _(Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me)_

 _You_ _'re my wonderwall…_

 _(Till then, I walk alone_ _….)_

* * *

Ash finished strumming the last chords and plopped down on the edge of the roof. The song helped a little, but it still didn't give her much of a solution to the duet dilemma.

When she thought about it, she really didn't have a reason to turn it down. At least, not a good reason. It was only one performance and Johnny was a sweet enough guy to put up with for a few weeks. Now that Lance was no longer pushing her in the background, she could make any choice she wanted. She'd have to talk to Moon about what songs she and Johnny would be allowed to sing, but that shouldn't be too difficult as long as nothing mushy was suggested. This was strictly a collaboration between two artists, nothing more. This new frame of mind immediately began to ease Ash's anxiety.

The only problem left was how to ask Johnny to give her a second chance. She pulled out her phone and scrolled to where Johnny's number was. She barely texted him, despite giving him her number months ago. This was due to her busy schedule with the Rejects, so her social life had to take a backseat. She didn't know what Johnny did after his lessons at the theater; only that he spent most of his time at some abandoned garage his father had worked at while leading a double life. Her thumb hovered over the CALL button. _One song_ , she mused to herself. _It_ _'s just one song. That's all it is…_ Just as her thumb was about to press CALL, a text alert popped up from Brandy:

 **Pizza** **'s here. You eating with us? (question emoji + pizza emoji)**

At the mention of pizza, Ash's stomach began to growl. A full stomach would definitely help her think of a way to tell Johnny she changed her mind.

(DISCLAIMER: "Wonderwall" trademarked to Oasis and their constituents. "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" trademarked to Greenday and their constituents. I do not claim any ownership of them.)


	5. Chapter 5: Can You Spare a Dime

"I'm telling you, go with the tea," said Brandy.

"Don't you think that's stereotypical?" said Ash, peeking around the horse in front of her.

"Whattya mean?"

"Just because he's from England, doesn't mean he's a tea drinker."

Brandy looked up from her phone. "He's BRITISH? Oh em gee! I thought he was Australian. What a relief for you, huh? Now you don't have to learn a second language."

Ash simply blinked in reply, then leaned over to Olive who was still perusing the menu. "By chance, did Brandy flunk geography?" she whispered.

"Well, a D-minus, but only because of the grading curve," said Olive.

After much deliberation the previous night, Ash decided to patch things up with Johnny first before telling him she changed her mind. She still felt guilty for embarrassing him and wanted to surprise him with an apologetic coffee treat. Problem was she never saw Johnny drink anything other than a bottle of water during rehearsals, so it was a gamble on what to get him.

"Look, if it's bugging you that much, just invite him out here and then you can treat him that way," suggested Olive.

"Nah, I'd rather make the effort. That way it seems more personal. Besides, I don't want him getting the impression I was…you know, asking him out."

"Gees, are you still mad about that?"

Ash rolled her eyes. "Mad about what? That you two stuck this idea in my head that Johnny might be crushing on me? Yeah, that wouldn't make things awkward or anything."

"Ok, ok, maybe pushing the romance was a bit much," admitted Olive, "but I still think you two singing together would be awesome to see."

"I guess," said Ash, shrugging nonchalantly. "I just want this to be strictly professional. Besides, a gorilla and a porcupine? I think we can all agree that's a pretty wild combo."

"I dunno," said Brandy, still typing away on her phone. "There have been weirder ones. Remember that reality show about the giraffe and hippo couple? Still trying to figure out how they made their honeymoon work."

Just then, the barista made an announcement over the counter. "Mobile order for Brandy!"

Brandy squealed lightly and sauntered over to the counter. Olive grinned and shook her head. "Oh look. Bert the badger barista is working today."

"No wonder she insisted on coming here," said Ash.

Brandy casually picked up her Fairy Rainbow Blitz; a multi-colored strawberry frappe with extra whip and sprinkles. "Oh, Bert! You even included the gumdrop on top," Brandy cooed as she popped the sugary sweet in her mouth. "You always know how I like it."

The badger nervously scratched his muzzle. "Uh, I was just following the customizations on the mobile order…"

"And you did a grrreat job," Brandy purred before taking a sip. "Buh-bye!" Taking her drink, Brandy returned to her friends making sure to sashay her tail along the way. She couldn't help but notice her friends giving her withering stares. "What?"

"We are so sending you to a convent…" muttered Olive.

"Next in line, please."

Looking up to see they were next, Ash walked up to the counter to order. "Uh…One medium iced tea with sweetener and lemon and one medium iced coffee, sugar and cream. Oh, and a couple croissants to go."

"Good choices," said Olive.

"Yeah," Ash shrugged. "I figured that way I can take whichever drink he doesn't want."

"Smart. You sure you don't want us to drop you off?"

Ash knew that Olive had her job at the music store while Brandy worked part-time at the local floral shop, each conveniently across the street from one another. Unfortunately, Johnny's garage was a distance away from their stores, so it would be a slight inconvenience. "It's fine," said Ash. "I'll just have a Zoomer driver come pick me up. Besides, the last thing I need is Brandy turning all paparazzi when I talk to Johnny."

Brandy stuck her tongue out at Ash, which was comically dyed blue and green from the frappe.

"Suit yourself," said Olive as she picked up her own mobile order. "Text us later to tell us how it went."

Ash waved goodbye to her friends as she stood by the pickup counter awaiting her order. Her eyes glanced around the coffee shop, occasionally straying to random couples. There were a pair of beagles chatting over in the corner, their paws intertwined; a couple of lovebirds pecking away at the same breakfast sandwich; a cute gazelle giving her llama boyfriend a quick peck on the cheek while taking a selfie together.

She remembered when her and Lance did that sort of stuff in public, though Lance wasn't quite as affectionate. He'd often complain that Ash was crowding him when she wanted to snuggle during a movie. She never realized how much she craved physical contact when she broke up with him. Being a porcupine, warm embraces were especially difficult. She pulled out her phone and opened up the photo section. Little did anyone know, she still kept one memento of Lance: a selfie they took outside of a grungy underground club where they had their first date. Before she had taken the picture, Lance had stuck out his tongue and made the rocker hand gesture. It made Ash burst out laughing which was clearly seen in the photo. She wished she could bring herself to delete it…

"Order up for Ash!"

Ash snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see her drinks and pastries were ready in a cardboard carrying case. She checked outside to see her Zoomer was just pulling up to the curb. _"Here goes nothing…_ " she muttered and headed out.

* * *

After doing some investigation, Meena had heard people at her church talking about a surly, fedora-wearing mouse playing a saxophone near the train station. It had to be Mike. She hoped that with a little luck, she could convince him to come and sing at the Noodleman concert. She told her family of her plan and, just like her friends, they were entirely against it. She silently scolded herself for telling her family how rude Mike was to her during the rehearsals.

Once she got off the bus, Meena turned off her music and removed her headphones, giving her ears a quick flap to stretch them out. It's common knowledge for elephants to have exquisite hearing and Meena's was no exception. Even before she reached the other side of the street, she could already make out faint saxophone music in the distance. It was coming from the stairs leading up to the train station. Just as she was about to head up, the music came to an abrupt halt and was replaced by a loud, irritable voice.

"Whaddya mean 'do I take requests?' What do I look like, a jukebox?"

"I-it was just an honest question. I really like the song "Jolene" and…"

"COUNTRY?! In what screwed-up universe is the sax a hillbilly instrument, you uncultured swine!"

"I-I didn't mean to…"

"Yeah, yeah, get outta here, ya mook! Treating me like a stinkin' honky tonk!"

 _Yeah, that_ _'s definitely Mike…_ , thought Meena. She stepped aside to let a flustered pig storm off down the street, then peeked around the corner. There, in the middle of the steps, was a disgruntled mouse wearing a beat up fedora and pinstripe suit, emptying out the spit valve of his saxophone.

"Mike! There you are!" she cried happily, startling Mike into almost dropping his sax.

"Sheesh! Give a guy a heart attack, why don't—Meena?"

Meena shuffled her feet. "H-hey Mike. Long time, no see, huh?"

Mike didn't immediately respond. Upon closer inspection, he looked worse for wear. It was clear his suit hadn't had a proper dry cleaning in awhile. He had bags under his eyes, looked a bit skinnier, and his white fur was less than pristine.

When he finally did speak, his trademark scowl came back as he casually brushed himself off. "Shoulda known that was you. The Richter scale must be going nuts the way you walk."

Meena chuckled nervously. "Yeah, funny. So, uh, I've been looking for you. Mr. Moon's putting together a concert for Nana Noodleman and…"

"Don't tell me," interrupted Mike. "He's behind on his bills again and wants to shmooze her up for moola, right?"

Meena wasn't sure how to answer. Now that she thought of it, the concert was a bit last minute, but the theater had been a huge hit since the grand reopening, so money shouldn't have been an issue.

"I, uh, don't think so," she said. "She's turning ninety next month and Mr. Moon just wanted to commemorate that. It's non-profit, so..."

"Non-profit?" cried Mike. "Good grief, does this guy not know how to run a business? So, what, we're just supposed to sing and dance for the broad, free of charge?"

"Um…I guess? But won't it be great to help celebrate Ms. Noodleman? I mean, she's such a legend and it'd be a lot of fun to…"

"Forget it!" snapped Mike, packing up his sax. "That marsupial is bomb disguised as a con man pretending to be a civilized citizen. I'd sooner sleep in the inside of a cougar's mouth than help him with any sort favor." With that, Mike grabbed his case and started huffing down the stairs.

"B-but Mike," said Meena, anxiously following him. "Don't you want a better venue?"

That stopped the rodent dead in his tracks as he spun around to face the enormous elephant. "Venue? And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I thought you'd like a proper stage and…"

"And? And what?" Mike snapped "You think I hit rock bottom? You think I'm not able to take care of myself? This is just rehearsal, you oversized diva! I'll have you know I've been getting more gigs than I know what to do with. I am in serious high demand, so if Moon wants me on that stage, I'm gonna need to see a dollar sign at the end of the offer, _capeesh_? Now buzz off! Go find a peanut store somewhere."

Meena tried to retort, but she knew it was no use. She just sighed heavily as she watched Mike storm down the street, occasionally dodging pedestrians. _Guess Mike won_ _'t be on the bill,_ she thought sadly. And the most ironic thing was she was allergic to peanuts.

* * *

Ash anxiously rehearsed what she was going to say to Johnny in her head. Her Zoomer drive - a cheery beagle named Bill - tried to converse with her during the ride, but she just gave short answers. It didn't take long for Bill to take the hint.

Once the car came to a stop, Ash looked up to see the giant GAS sign over the building. She wasn't sure why Johnny would be at a place like this; the garage looked like it hadn't been used in years.

"You sure this is the right place?" asked Bill as he opened up the door for Ash.

"Yeah…I think so. It's the address Crawley gave me."

"You want me to wait around, just in case?"

"Nah, it's cool. I hear music, so I think he's nearby. Thanks again," said Ash. Bill shrugged, then got back in his car and drove off. She headed in the direction of the music, scanning the area for her gorilla friend. "Johnny?" she called, adjusting her hands on the carrying case. "Johnny, it's…whoa…"

Ash froze, completely unprepared for what she saw: Johnny washing his truck…shirtless. His head bopped to the beat of a nearby boom box as he worked the soapy sponge all over the black exterior. Once every inch was sudsy, Johnny wrung out the sponge while unintentionally toning his biceps. He took a minute a wipe his forehead and stretch his arms over his head, giving Ash a full shot of his pecs and abdomen.

It was like the world around Ash disappeared. She never considered herself shallow, but it was hard not to admire Johnny's physique. He was so toned and muscular, it was any wonder he didn't consider a modeling career. She felt her heart race as Johnny bent over to pick up the hose to rinse off the truck. It was like the mist from the spray made him glisten and shine. _Boy, what Brandy wouldn_ _'t give to be here right now…_ Ash thought.

Johnny was just about finished with the truck when he happened to look up and see Ash standing just a few feet away from him.

"ASH!" he cried, turning to face her. He forgot he was still holding the nozzle as a huge spray of water shot in her direction. Ash was able to snap out of her trance in time to dodge, protecting the drinks and pastries from getting ruined.

"GAH! Blimey!" Fumbling with hose, Johnny managed to turn it off, followed by the boom box . Grabbing a towel, he quickly went over to her. "I am so sorry. You ok?"

Gently putting down the case, she gratefully took the towel and wiped her face, trying to cover her blushing cheeks. "Yeah, you look fine. I mean, you're fine— I'M fine. Everything's fine…" Once she got all the moisture off her fur, Ash handed the towel back to Johnny. It was barely damp, so he started to dry off his own hands before draping the towel over his shoulder.

"Sorry about the mess," he said, pointing behind him. "If I knew you were coming over, I would've done this later…"

"Nono, it's cool," she mumbled, her eyes lightly traveling over his body. "I should've sent you a pecs — TEXT. I just had to abs - ASK you…I have to ask you something."

Johnny fidgeted a bit as he scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, ok? What is it?"

Ash took a deep breath before speaking. "I want to duet with you."

Johnny blinked. "I'm sorry, _what?_ "

"I mean, the duet! The song! Us together on stage for Moon, I-I mean Noodleman. We could sing the thing together and…"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on!" said Johnny, gently hushing Ash's rambling. "Are you…saying you changed your mind? About the concert?"

Ash looked down at her shoes and kicked a random pebble. "Maybe…"

Johnny's eyes lit up and a large smile broke on his face. "Wow! Ash, that's…I-I don't know what to say…"

"Just 'yes' or 'no' would be fine…"

"Yes! Yes, absolutely!"

"Ok! Great. Here." Ash then picked up the drinks and shoved them into Johnny's arms.

Johnny looked down at the offering, trying to figure out how to respond. "Oh, uh…thank you?"

"You're welcome. See you tomorrow, bye!"

Before Johnny could say anything else, Ash was already across the parking lot.

"W-wait!" called Johnny. "Am I supposed to drink both of these or…" The question was soon answered when Ash returned, swiped the iced coffee, then resumed her escape from embarrassment.

As soon as she was far away enough, she stopped on a nearby corner and slumped down against a wall. What just happened? Why did she act that way? She had seen Johnny dozens of times. Sure, he was cute, but she never felt herself go - dare she say - gaga before. Then again, his signature sweatshirt did not due his body justice. _It_ _'s just what Brandy and Olive put in my head_ , she said to herself. Taking a small sip from her coffee, she headed home, trying to erase Johnny's image from her mind. Easier said than done.

* * *

"She did _what?_ "

" _I'm totally serious,"_ said Johnny. _"She just showed up at the garage and said she changed her mind about the duet. So…I guess we're back on."_

Meena couldn't believe it. She was so happy, she almost dropped her phone in the soup she was preparing. "Johnny, that's so awesome! I knew she'd come around."

" _It's just for the concert, Meena. I still haven't asked her out..."_

"Not yet, anyway…" she teased. "What are you guys gonna sing?"

" _Uhh…we didn't really get to discuss that. Once I said yes, she kinda ran off. She looked…I dunno, flustered."_

Meena paused for a moment. Flustered was not a word one would describe Ash the punk rock porcupine. "Why would she be…wait, what did you say you were doing before she came over?"

" _Washing me pickup."_

"Ok, stupid question: were you wearing a shirt?"

" _Well, no. I mean, it was over ninety today. What difference does that make?"_

Meena shook her head and tried not to laugh. Her friend was too modest to realize a lot of girls saw him as a hunk. "Oh Johnny…" was all she could say while giggling.

Just then, her mother poked her head into the kitchen. "That soup almost ready, Meena? A new crowd's about to come in."

"Coming, mom!" she said, switching the off the stove. "Johnny, I gotta go. We'll talk tomorrow, ok? Bye." After hanging up, Meena carefully picked up the pot and carried it out to the soup kitchen's dining hall.

"Who was that on the phone?" asked her mother as she helped Meena set up the vat.

"That was Johnny. He said Ash changed her mind about the duet."

"Oh good, baby! I bet those two will sound great together."

Meena nodded in agreement, but then sighed. "I just wish Mike would change his mind, too."

"Why are you so concerned with getting that little rat to sing at the concert?" asked her mother as she prepared the dinner rolls. "His ego probably wouldn't even fit on the stage."

Meena flicked her trunk in annoyance. "I just thought he'd want to perform for Noodleman and…"

"All right, everyone," said pastor Lawrence, the penguin who was the head at Meena's church. "We'll be opening the doors soon. Remember, one plate per person. We want to make sure we have enough food for everyone and we got quite the crowd tonight."

The homeless animals came in single file, anxiously awaiting their meals. Meena loved it when she and her mother volunteered at the local soup kitchen. She already enjoyed cooking and baking, so it was a great use of her talents. Not only that, but her family's trademark vegetable stew was a big hit.

After about twenty minutes of serving, a beagle wearing a habit hurried over to Lawrence. "We have a problem, Lawrence. He's back."

A worried look fell over the penguin's face. "Oh dear, not again."

"Is everything ok, sir?" asked Meena.

"Hopefully. I'll be right back," sighed Lawrence, crossing himself before exiting the building.

Just as Meena was about to hand out another serving a soup, a loud commotion could be heard from outside. "LISTEN HERE, YOU DOPED UP FEATHER DUSTER! I WAS HERE FIRST!"

Meena dropped her ladle and ran towards the shouting, ignoring her mother beckoning her to come back. As soon as she got outside, she saw a hectic scene: pastor Lawrence trying to pull a small white mouse off the neck of a panic-stricken stork.

"Michael, please calm down!" scolded Lawrence, finally yanking the mouse away and tossing him to ground.

"I did NOT cut in front of him," said the stork, rubbing his neck. "I didn't even see him standing there."

"Likely story, you pathological liar!" shouted the mouse.

"MIKE?!"

Mike stopped mid-rant and turned to see Meena standing over him. He immediately forgot the fight and was frozen in the spot, his eyes bigger than dinner plates.

"Mike…" Meena said quietly. "Why are you at a soup kitchen? I thought you said…"

But she was unable to finish before Mike bolted down the street. "Mike, wait!" Meena cried, but was halted Lawrence.

"Don't, my child," said the penguin soothingly. "This isn't the first time he's shown up here causing a ruckus."

A nearby bison snorted in agreement. "Yeah, he's always demanding special treatment just because he plays the sax, but he's more of a bum than all of us put together." All the other animals in line cried out in agreement, individually voicing their own insults towards Mike.

Meena was speechless. He had been to the soup kitchen before? It would explain his disheveled appearance.

In other words, Mike was homeless.


End file.
